10 Amazing Quilt Tools You Can Make!!!

[@jenmckitrick]

I use a toilet paper roll strung on a long piece of selvedge to roll my binding on. I hang it around my neck while I'm putting the binding on.

[@peggersf9709]

👍🏻 I like this idea 😊

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great tip!

[@daisy8297]

I do too! My kids think I am weird to have thought of doing that, I am glad I am not the only one 😂

[@sewingSue]

My design wall is two twin flannel sheets sewed together and stapled (yep) to the wall. It is huge and I love it.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great idea!!!

[@dianethequilter]

I love the pad you made for under your sewing machine. I did make one, but my lightweight sewing machine was sliding away from me on the pad. So, I bought a silicone oven sheet at Walmart and placed it under that pad and now my sewing machine is steady as a rock.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Excellent idea!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@pattiadams3968]

The little pipe cleaner/coffee straw cleaners are BRILLIANT!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Yes they are!

[@charoletthoward7312]

I've made fabric bowls, binders for planing and color charts with graph paper, ruler, colored pencils, and a mat for my sewing machine. Thank you gor sharing your talents and ideas.❤❤

[@thesimplequilter7499]

That's a great idea!

[@helenfields2318]

I use a 75c thrift store metal mail holder to hold my rulers and wee cutting mats. My husband made a wooden base with tall dowel to hold my machine thread. I don't like the "sideway" one on the machine since thead seems to get caught on it. He also used a nice block of walnut to make a cell phone holder with 6 holes behind to hold scissors and pens etc. while handstitching on my couch.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great DIYs!!!

[@charoletthoward7312]

Hello from rain soaked East Texas. Nice to ser you.❤

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Yes indeed!!!!

[@lindagivvin2235]

I use 90% of what you featured, but I need to make a binder for my specialty rulers. Thanks for sharing!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@happystitcher1895]

I make my own design boards with cardboard from all my deliveries. I cover the back with leftover fabric and bring it around to the front and then cut batting to cover the whole front and glue it down. Easy peasy and no extra cost 😊Thank you for all you do and share with us.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Sounds great!

[@helenpeddycord2241]

My most favorite DIY is my design wall! Made with flannel covered insulation boards which can easily be moved around anywhere. I’m too old to crawl around on the floor! 😭 Next would be my design boards🧡🧵 Thank you for all the tips and DIYs you share Michelle!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@Tla81]

Love this idea! It took my ten minutes to get off the floor yesterday! I had to crawl to a recliner to help me to stand up! Too much arthritis!

[@helenpeddycord2241]

@@Tla81 - I hear ya Sis and had a little grunt for you💕 I have RA so only if I have a fall, would one ever catch me on all fours on the floor!🫣😂💕

[@pbar8439]

I used headliner as a design board. (used to line the inside, top of your car) I had a wall of family photos in my sewing room. I put heavy duty velcro above the photos with the opposite side attached to the headliner. It hung down over the photos. I attached some ties to the back of it. When I was done with it, I rolled it up and fastened the ties to hold it up. Quilt blocks stayed attached and in place when it was rolled up.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jtumbleweed64]

I bought flannel at Walmart and zig zagged the seam of the pieces. Then I used a industrial stapler to put to the wall.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!

[@michelleswistak1389]

My grandson helped me make an ironing table out of a broken 6ft. table. I also made a sewing machine mat with pockets for the supplies I use regularly. I purchased a tablecloth for my design wall, now I have to find a wall big enough to hang it. Lastly, I use a peg board to hang my rulers. Save where you can.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Oh wow! All great ideas!

[@michelleswistak1389]

@@thesimplequilter7499 thanks, it is always good to repurpose.

[@franpatzcraig6713]

My favorite that i use all the time is an ironing pad made from a scrap piece of plywood, three layers of cotton batting, and a piece of cotton canvas cloth from JoAnn's. The bottom layer is that heat reflective batting used for hot pads. I cut the batting large enough to wrap around the plywood to the back on all sides and staple it down taut. Then I cut the canvas cover large enough to fold to the back and fold the edges under, then staple that down taut. Mine is about 18" x 24" but any size that's convenient for you is OK. It saves getting out my ironing board when I'm only piecing blocks . I'm thinking of making a 12"x12" one to put next to my sewing machine for paper piecing.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@judyperrigo7868]

I purchased styfoam insulation 4 x 6ft and I use that on my wall. i bought 3 sheets and it is easy to put up and I love, love it.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Carol_Sews]

I use an old Lang Christmas card box to hold my rotary cutter, new blades, and a very old department store jewelry box to put used blades in. I use the old blades to cut paper, cardboard, or foam board. When I’m cutting fabric, I use the lid of the box to collect my scraps that will be thrown away before I put the cutter away. I don’t want to invest in a wool mat. On the rare occasion that I want to press on wool, I layer (on my ironing board) several pieces of 100% wool fabric that I cut from skirts that I bought at rummage sales and a thrift shop. I also made a pressing bar by rolling a number of pieces of wool around a dowel and tying around the ends of the fabric with cotton string. Before cutting the skirts up, I felted the wool by washing the garments in hot water and drying them in the dryer. I serged the edges of my wool squares and rectangles to minimize stretching and lint.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great tips! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@marywinters2436]

I’m an old quilter, but you keep me young be teaching me great ideas of things I can incorporate into my sewing room. Thank you sewing much for what you do ❤😊❤

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@agnessmith780]

Thank you for sharing these !

[@thesimplequilter7499]

My pleasure!

[@carolgoff4317]

I love all your ideas! I ordered those small binders and page protectors at your suggestion! What axgame changer. I bought two. One for quilt patterns and purses and tote patterns. It is so nice to have them all corralled in those binders. Your videos are awesome and inspiring. Thank you for all your efforts!!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome! Anything to keep from having to dig to find things!

[@annolsen8276]

My husband and I worked together to make a stand up roller for binding stipes. Solid wooden base with plastic pipe screwed into. Sits like an upside "T". I have a larger 6" plastic pipe that I roll my binding or borders on, slip it over the holder. It keeps the binding neat, off the floor, and easily comes off as I sew. We also worked at making a "net" to hold the quilt that's waiting to be quilted, up and out of the way, on my q-zone rack

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

[@lauraaustin4795]

love the pipe cleaner idea...definitely going to try that one

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You should! It works great!

[@bethk7648]

I wish I had the pattern to share; I made a mat with pockets for my sewing machine. It's made with a canvas fabric, backed with non- slip grippy mat material and bound in a fun floral. The pockets keep scissors, stilletos, and seam rippers handy.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Sounds great!

[@cherrygingham]

This was a great video, kind of like a highlight reel of some of your best DIYs you shared so far. The favorite things I make are a design board variation I learned from Happy Zombie she called Block Buddies, it used corrugated plastic as the base and you sew the batting onto it. Most of mine are sized to fit exactly into my project boxes. A kind of specialty organization tool I made is for organizing the Lori Holt Sew Simple Shapes Templates. These are my template books I make with binders, one is a template index with printouts of each sample quilt she designed and the sizes and shapes available in each set. Then I store the templates in binders 2 or 3 sets in each using 'magnetic' photo pages that the templates stick to and I put the templates in number order. The tool I make most often are my block pages, project pages, and project books. I used to draw everything out and color it in, but I switched to Electric Quilt about a year and a half ago. I love sampler quilts and I try to use as many fabrics as possible so I draw out each block in color and paste fabric swatches onto the page. While I'm working the pages go in my project boxes on the block buddy with the cut pieces but while I'm planning I keep them all in a project binder so I can compare the fabrics and after I'm done I put them in locking tab folders like a little scrap book of my project with a picture of the finished quilt. What I need to make next are some of your fold away cutting and marking mats, one for my everyday use and another one especially for my mom who does a lot of EPP.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Cherry, Thank you for sharing all these ideas!!!!

[@Lady-Seawulf]

Awesome list of tools! You come up with the best ideas!!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you very much!

[@carolbrumlow4395]

love the binder for your specialty rulers with their instructions. Wish I had thought of that a long time ago!!!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I enjoy mine!

[@papercents]

One of my favorite tools is the binding board I made after watching a KZbin video by Terry Rowland. I have made quite a few of the tools you've shown also and you've shown a few that I would like to add to my room as well. Thank you for your video! Happy quilting!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I will have to check out a binding board!

[@raeblain3109]

Great show Michelle

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks Rae!

[@helenmorgan4003]

My latest DIY is a mat for my machine, a friend almost through me 7 orphan blocks I added one of my own in a similar color range so I sewed them together for a machine mat that I now take to sewing groups and this weekend to her first retreat, almost thinking I will find a name for her,she has become very important to me when I'm sewing.❤

[@thesimplequilter7499]

That is a fantastic idea for using orphan blocks!!! I love it! Thanks for sharing!

[@lindadavis8082]

I’ve made & really enjoy the design boards. I made mine with batting on one side & flannel on the other.thanks for your ideas.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@pollyanna8473]

The binder for holding specialty rulers is a great idea! I have some of them hanging on my wardrobe doors with glue on hooks but some of the smaller ones don't have the hanging hole. I was trying to find a good way to organize them and this is it! Thank you and happy new year 🎉

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are most welcome!

[@pattiadams3968]

The snap pockets are great to keep smaller quilting rulers together by shape. I use them inside hanging file folders in a file cabinet. It’s easy to organize by shape, theme, alphabetical…it makes it easy to find the one you want easily. I store the PDF sheets of possible designs and any “doodling” I’ve done in the same folder. I have a list of the ruler name, designer, date purchased and price in the very front of each drawer. I started doing that, and spreadsheets for specialty rulers, patterns, machine embroidery CD’s/designs, …when I was reorganizing my studio and found several duplicates. Duplicate fabrics are fine, but how many flying geese rulers does a girls really need? The napkin holders are so great in the sewing room. I have a few I use to hold the rulers I need for my current project, the pattern/iPad if it’s digital, “mini bolts” of fabrics, cut fabrics clipped to comic book board with the size/piece..written in Frixion marker, so it can be used repeatedly….

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!

[@paulaweston5242]

Great ideas! I especially like the ruler storage. No more digging!! Thank you for providing the links.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@angelakohler165]

Hi, I use the felt back table cloths as well, but I have it on a shower rod with rings hung between the two rooms so I can slide it out of the way. Love your videos and ideas.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@connieking9873]

Your videos are the best but today the binder with speciality rulers is my favorite. I have been struggling finding a place and had them on the side of a cabinet but not really liking it. Going to get some snap pockets. Yea me. Going to Home Depot and getting one the one inch insulation boards. They will cut it to 6 feet for me. Then flannel and maybe just keeping it mobile not sure. Work in progress.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Let me know how it all works out!

[@patriciamoller3060]

Thankyou , clever lady , very I aspiring with your ideas

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@karenboyd6293]

As always, I enjoy your videos. I have diabetes, so the plastic bottles my test strips come in are perfect for small sharps like needles. I aslo use larger pill bottles for sharps. The thing that I am most proud of making is my class fabric accessory. It is ugly because I used fabric that I didn't like. It is styled like a garment folder travel accessory. The purpose is to keep the fabric that I have pressed, and possibly cut to size for a class, neat and smooth. I am not sure I can describe it well enough with out pictures. It is essentialy a large esquare of fabric with velcro at the corners. I use a 13 x18 cutting mat which is place in the middle, lay my fabics on that rectangle. Then I fold over the velcroed corners and it is packed and stays until I arrive and unpack it. I actually make a pocket in the missed so the cutting mat slide in to keep in in place. As I said you need pictures to understand.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Sounds so interesting!!!

[@marilynappel6790]

I really liked your binder for keeping patterns and rulers. I can never find my rulers. Thanks.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@tracycook7355]

What brilliant ideas

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you!

[@jeanetteharrington8591]

I use insulation board 4x8, for a design board, wrap it with batting and it works great.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great tip! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@sisterchicksquilting]

Thanks for your good ideas. My fave in my quilt room are my FQ Baskets that are color coded.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Love that!

[@sandrawhitman2930]

You are just amazing! I would love to hear your schedule and how you get so many things accomplished! Thanks for sharing! Love, love your videos!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you so much!

[@martibarnes4308]

Thank you so much, Michelle! I love all your wonderful, clever ideas! Thanks for all you do!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@diannplatt-roberts8692]

Went to the tutorial for making the cutting mat. Great gift idea. Have made two design walls. I also made a ruler hanger for the rulers I use the most. Made it with pegboard. My cutting table is outside of my sewing room. You have great ideas.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you!

[@darleneblakely7726]

I use anti pill polar fleece for my design wall.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@sunseekerrs3087]

You always have such good tips! I need to get a binder like yours for storing my patterns. Thank you for the links of which ones you bought. I didn’t have room to store my rulers on my sewing table. So I bought a small expandable curtain rod to put on the wall by my sewing machine and used metal shower curtain rings to hang my rulers on the curtain rod. It is not as tidy as your ruler holder, but it does the trick.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

It sound like a great storage solution! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@susanmei9980]

That’s a great idea! I hv an extra magnetic curtain rod and the side of a big metal file cabinet near my cutting table!

[@sunseekerrs3087]

@@susanmei9980 that should work great!

[@susanbraun698]

I like the pocket folders in a binder! I will have to check them out. I recently found an old shoe holder that I mounted on the wall by my frame for long arm rulers. It is open on both sides and the rulers just slide in. I wanted something that mounted on the wall as desktop space is limited for me.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks so much for sharing!

[@sherryconroy3507]

I made my design wall with a large piece of styrofoam insulation board and a large piece of batting.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@sarafrancis7239]

Thank you for the tip on the ruler notebook. I have mine hanging on a peg board but love this idea better because I'm always looking for the directions. I made a design wall using foam board stapled to the wall then covered it with grid fabric. I have also made design boards. Now I need to make the hanger from napkin holders. Thanks again for all your tips. I'm on my way to dig the selvage out of the trash😊

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@livingweirdestherc6644]

Great tips. I need to make some design boards

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I really really use them a lot!

[@sandyvotel3484]

Love your ideas. Thank you

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@lindashort4016]

I absolutely love your ideas and will incorporate them into my sewing room. My two favorite are the napkin holders for design boards and the specialty ruler notebook. Brilliant!!! Thank you for sharing!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@proud2bktsmama]

I just made a note to pick up a couple of these at Dollar Tree!

[@teresaayars3164]

this was awesome I especially love the ruler binder

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks!

[@deenagraham5488]

Super Cool ideas you've shared with us! Thank you! I use a magazine/book rack display that can sit on a table top to display some of my tall rulers. I will definitely look into buying a binder and placing my smaller rulers in them. They tend to fall or slide down in the book rack.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are most welcome!

[@beckyezra1]

thank you for the video, for sure going to use yr tip about keeping the rulers in a binder. tnx. i find those hooks on my sewing machine I put my thread snipers, and a small clock to show me the time...

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Excellent tips! Thanks for sharing!

[@janfranks3975]

I use a large plastic flower pot for scraps. You can have it match your sewing room decor.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@lizzystitch4842]

I put my used needles in a Tic Tac container. When it's full, I dump them into my husband's sharp's container.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I like to try to be careful with disposing of sharps.

[@cheryldevoe7100]

Some great ideas! Thank you.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@kayleesmith4715]

Dang Michelle! Another great video. I love your binder for rulers. Mine are always hiding from me😂

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you Kaylee! It helps me avoid digging for my supplies.

[@karin0963]

I made a qulted sewing machine pad with pockets for some tools to keep handy while I sew. Sometimes I forget, and when I lift my machine to move, it all falls to the floor. 😂

[@thesimplequilter7499]

That's a great idea!

[@nancyhartman6662]

Great ideas! Pattern for the center quilted item on your design wall?

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Nancy, That is my design and I don't have a pattern. Here is a link for the video showing you how to make it. It will tell you the size of pieces to cut and show you how to assemble it. Pinwheels and squares: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGa9pKyQaN1girs

[@vicki8042]

Great ideas!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Glad you like them!

[@margaretderen2082]

Amazon box cardboard (covered with flannel) is a cheaper option for small design boards rather than buying foam core.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

That is a great idea!

[@nancyhelpinstill1834]

I buy the foamcore at the dollar store ($1!). It’s 20 x 30”. I can get 6-10” boards or 1-20” and 2-10” boards - or any combination you want. I make a lot of bags, so I ALWAYS keep all my batting scraps for that. But that means I have plenty for design boards! I teach quilt classes and use these a lot for progressive illustrations of steps in making blocks. Thank you, Lori Holt for giving us the idea of this invaluable tool! 😻💕 I use old wooden tool totes that I find often at thrift stores to store my large square rulers. I glue felt in the bottom and then paint them in pretty colors to match my room.

[@jillbeer539]

Do you think the corrugated plastic boards (ie from yard signs) would work for your small design boards instead of the foam boards?

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Yes I do!

[@kw1lts]

I use the School project boards that students use and cut them. You can get 6 design boards out of it. You can get them at the dollar store, Walmart, etc. Basically, any sturdy but light board will work. You aren''t going to be ironing or cutting on it , just using it to lay out blocks and transfer them from area to area so you don't lose your place.

[@suzannemiller993]

Some ladies in my guild use Teflon oven spill sheets as Super Sliders for FMQ. Cheap plastic placemats (mine were from Hobby Lobby during their 75% off sale) taped together would also work as Super Sliders.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!

[@sandeenisenfeld5232]

Going to try that. Thanks

[@suecoupon3753]

cheapest bobbin holder ever ☺ 6 pins. 3 plastic straws, 1 for each of my sewing machines. Just slide the bobbins on the straw. put 2 pins into bulletin board and lay the straw onto it. my bulletin board is right in front of my machine so that way I can see the colors for each. tada.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great idea!!

[@judyperrigo7868]

What size are are the quilt pattern book?

[@thesimplequilter7499]

5 1/2 x 8 1/2

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

Darn I can't watch your videos anymore. You tube is blocking me because I have an ad blocker. I need it.

[@pbar8439]

Me too, but it blocks everything!

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

@@pbar8439 I will have to check out mee wee.

[@ladyhawthorne1]

@@pbar8439 try ad block plus.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I'm so sorry! I don't know how to fix that...

[@tracycook7355]

Why don’t you put your sharps in coke can in the recycling. Rather than just trashing

[@ladyhawthorne1]

Coke cans are aluminum and needles are steel, wouldn't that be a problem for the recyclers?

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I want to be sure others are safe from getting jabbed with my disposed of sharps.